MISD approved ADA-compliant auditorium, stage at Carver

By Meredith Moriak | mmoriak@mrt.com

Published 6:24 pm, Monday, December 9, 2013

Ensuring the auditorium and stage at Carver Center are accessible to all students, families and teachers, Midland ISD trustees unanimously agreed to add $425,000 into the building’s existing $10 million renovation budget to make it wheelchair-accessible.

“You’ve got to do it. It’s a no-brainer,” said trustee Jay Isaacs. “We always talk about how every child counts and that means in the classroom and in the auditorium.”

Extensive renovations to the auditorium at Carver Center, the gifted and talented school for students in second through sixth grades, were not included in the initial bond programming. Money was allotted to update the house and theatrical lights, replace the HVAC system, sound board and seats, but funds were not earmarked to bring the room up to ADA standards.

“I’d hate to tell a child we spent $10 million on a building, but we still can’t get them on the stage,” said Superintendent Ryder Warren, referring to the fact that the current room doesn’t have a ramp for students to access the stage and the floor is slanted substantially, making it difficult for someone in a wheelchair to maneuver throughout.

The project will call for reducing the drastic slant by building a portion of the floor up, the construction of a ramp on the right side of the auditorium and the replacement and reconfiguration of seats. A companion row will be added at the front of the auditorium.

Approving plans for auditorium renovations at Carver Center was among the four design development packages from Rhotenberry Wellen Architects trustees approved Monday night.

Also at the meeting, trustees:

- Set parameters for the issuance, sale and delivery of $93.110 million in bond funds. Trustees delegated the final pricing authority for the sale of bonds to Superintendent Ryder Warren, Chief Financial Officer David Garcia or board President Rick Davis as long as the bond sale does not exceed the maximum interest rate of 6 percent. The delegated authority is valid for six months, but the district plans to sell bond funds in mid-January.

- Approved a memorandum of understanding with Samaritan Counseling Services of West Texas Inc. regarding the referral and payment schedule for students in need of counseling services. MISD will make referrals for identified students seeking counseling services and fund six sessions at $35 per session, according to the memo. Samaritan will provide those sessions and provide a written request to the MISD office of guidance and counseling if additional counseling sessions are required.

The partnership between Samaritan and MISD has been long-standing, but Warren said there is a still a severe shortage in the agencies that provide mental health services to juveniles in the Permian Basin.

- Approved sending a letter of intent regarding MISD’s Chapter 41 status to the Texas Education Agency. MISD will exercise option three, the purchase of attendance credits from the state, to equalize its wealth for the 2013-14 school year, according to the letter.

- Approved an interlocal agreement with the West Texas Food Service Cooperative for the 2014-15 school year.

- Awarded a $164,429 contract to Reese Albert of Midland to replace the asphalt paving at the district’s central administrative office, 615 W. Missouri Ave. The work is scheduled to begin in June.

- Heard from Wesley Don Juan, student body president at Midland High School, regarding the discontinuation of the spring final exemption incentive for students with few absences, high grades and successful completion of state assessments.

“I feel that taking away our exemptions is unfair and I know that we live in an unfair world. But it is not reasonable to have an incentive taken away that only promotes hard work,” Don Juan said, noting that incentives serve as a stress-reliever for students who perform at a high academic level.

MHS Principal Jeff Horner and Lee High School Principal Jeanette McNeely decided to discontinue the program over the summer, saying it doesn’t promote a college-going culture. Approval from the school board was not necessary.

Don Juan presented trustees with a petition signed by more than 500 MHS students asking that the district consider reinstating the incentive for those who excel academically.

“I feel as if those of whom are actually not taking care of business and who kind of get by, seem to be rewarded and given a lot of chances and opportunities. Why is that those of whom are not taking care of business -- skipping classes, failing classes due to lack of doing work -- are given every opportunity to make up hours in Saturday school and A+ lab, yet a simple incentive that actually requires hard work, rather than being a handout, is being taken away?” Don Juan said.

At Warren’s suggestion, Don Juan and Horner will meet to discuss the policy and talk about reversing this summer’s decision.